Student Athlete Spotlight: Megan Boyer
Megan Boyer, a local athlete from Clarksburg, MA plays a key role on the Trailblazers softball team
Student Athlete Spotlight By Jaclyn Candelet
A three sport athlete coming out of high school, Trailblazer senior Megan Boyer decided to follow her heart and pursue the game she loved at the next level. "Softball has always been my favorite sport," said Boyer. "Every weekend, every summer I was playing softball." Boyer transferred to MCLA following a semester at Ithaca College, and has been a regular starter for the Trailblazers during her playing career.
Boyer's father, a collegiate baseball player, influenced her to start playing softball in the third grade. "He was a baseball player and had two daughters," said Boyer. "My sister hated softball so I was the next best option." As much as her father helped generate her interest in softball, it was her mother that became her first coach.
A pivotal moment in Boyer's softball career made her take last season off. In MCLA's last game her sophomore year she twisted her knee batting and went down. This was one of many knee injuries Boyer has endured. The injuries all started her sophomore year of high school on the first day of basketball practice, she slipped running sprints and missed basketball season. She then hurt it again junior year going up for a rebound and the opposing player fell on her, dislocating her knee cap. "It was frustrating," stated Boyer. "I would work hard, rehab, and then something would happen." She has had one previous surgery on her knee and at the end of this season Boyer will undergo patella femoral ligament reconstruction and patella micro-fracture surgery.
Not only has Boyer had to adapt to playing with her knee injury, she has had to adjust to different positions on the field. She started out in high school as a catcher. Her knee injury and being in a catcher's stance for long periods of time didn't go hand in hand. She now gets playing time at both third and first.
Boyer, gifted with a strong arm in the field and solid bat at the plate, plays a key role for the Trailblazers. Playing in all 26 games so far this season, Boyer's stats are as follows; seven doubles, 13 RBIs, 11 walks, and two homeruns. She has an on base percentage of .411 and a slugging percentage of .500.
Megan Boyer's softball career will come to an end this season, but there are a few things that she will cherish about her playing days; the support from her parents' game after game and the friendships she has made. "I'll miss playing, but coaching is definitely in my future," said Boyer.